Interview with Games of Glory Developers

Interview with Games of Glory Developers

We had a pleasure talking with Anders Larsson, President of Lightbulb Crew about their new title “Games Of Glory”. Special shutout to Matt Fary for getting us hooked up with the interview. If you want to check Games of Glory out you can do it by going here – http://games-of-glory.com/

1) What sort of games/movies/TV-series influenced Games of Glory’s playstyle / design or art direction?

Overall setting: There are many influences: The Roman empire, Constantinople (eastern roman empire), Star wars, Dune. But also sports of today, like American football for the feeling of the great show.

Game “mechanics”: Eve-online and World of Warcraft for their organizations and clans; Diablo and old top down shooters for controls and action; Existing MOBA’s for their focus on the champions (our Clones), their skills and the team work.

Art direction: A mix of “realistic” science fiction, with some influences of Tron, married with the western comics style to emphasize specific characteristics. We started out thinking “Mass Effect” but ended up somewhere quite different

2) Was the vision for the game always the same from the start or did the games direction change at some point?

Lars: We quickly coalesced around a vision: E-sport for everyone, a persistent world and true innovation around the core game-play together with a strong focus on the community. The details of all of these things have changed over time however.

Weapons have gotten a more central role than we initially thought, in terms of graphical vision we have turned more cartoon than initially etc.. All of these changes have really improved the experience of the game and come from different members of the team.

3) From the trailer we are able to see 1 map and 1 game mode. Will there be different maps to play and different game modes like free for all or Elimination? Or Perhaps capture the flag even?

Lars: We have one map that is really ready to play, which is a kind of capture the point merged with base attack. On this map we are working on introducing a few different game modes. We have also developed a training room for people to try out builds and champions. On top of this we are currently working on a map with some new variations on mechanics and game design that at least we have not seen yet.

The thinking behind the new game design is to emphasize tactical choices and risk-taking. We will be relying heavily on our community to inform us as to which maps and modes are the most interesting.

4) What will be the average game time for the current map? If its long, do you desire to make maps that last 10-15 minutes or even less?

Lars: Our first map averages around 15 minutes of game-play, with rare occasions above 20 minutes. We are working on game modes on the same map that would be shorter. Our next map is targeted to last a little longer, but stay below 30 minutes.

5) What sort of Business Model will Games of Glory have? Do we use real money/in-game currency to buy the clones or is everything unlocked at the start?

Lars: The game is free-to-play with a premium option. There will be a set of base clones to use for everyone, and over time clones can be unlocked with in-game or real currency. As you level up, there are certain improvements that work in a similar way to runes in League of Legends.

With the premium option the buyer has access to all game-play modifying bonuses at each level (except those that need to be unlocked through quests), including all existing and future champions, which means there is no more need for excessive “grinding”. However, most personalization features remain available through micro transactions. For those who prefer a typical free-to-play model, that is also available, with no requirement to ever pay for the game.

6) Will there be leveling system outside the map itself? Where you unlock talents or something like that as you progress?

Lars: One of the aspects we like in MMO’s is the ability to develop your character’s strength over time as you level up. Therefore we are building in different types of progression outside of matches. They are not only based on level progression, but also based on stories and quests as well as social behavior.

We are careful to balance bonuses etc. from a competitive stand-point to not hamper competitive play. A significant portion of progression deals with other things than in-game bonuses, like influence in the game world and social interactions.

7) How important the competitive aspect will be for this game? What do you guys will do to make it an Esport?

Lars: The game is built for Esport, it is in its DNA. We are building in the ability to organize tournaments, clubs etc. into the game. Further we are constructing the rules of the game to create a level playing field where skill and team work is what makes the winner, not chance or pay 2 win. We will grow the elite tournaments in the game in tune with our community.

8) Is it really important for Games Of Glory to give something to both competitive and casual player base of the game?

Lars: Even though they might not know it, both communities are really important for the game and for each other. The really competitive community is in most cases not big enough to create a vibrant community in itself. That is why we are building in features that give casual gamers reasons to come back to the game often. At the same time, the competitive community helps creating dreams and aspirations for all players of the game. It is truly a win-win if well done.

9) Is every character able to use each weapon or are some of them bound to certain faction/race? Or does certain faction have bonuses for using melee weapons or such?

Lars: So far, the only restriction is that large characters use different close combat weapons than normal sized characters. The reasons for choosing a specific weapon can be found in the team composition or the specific powers of each Clone.

Single target assassins tend to use enhanced daggers; the sniper rifle works great with immobilizing traps and the mortar type weapons are great for sieging. There is real thought behind different weapon mechanics, so there are many different things to master to become a strong Games of Glory player.

10) Is there something you want to say to the people who are interested trying Games of Glory out?

Lars: We are getting close to our early Alpha release, and if you want to shape your perfect MOBA-crossover experience, you should join our forums and participate! Upcoming subjects will be everything from Skin-design to game mechanics, and we really want to hear what you think should be part of the game!